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Eating disorders encompass a spectrum of disorders, which in different expressions revolve around body image and eating habits.

Some of these are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, orthorexia, and nocturnal binge eating syndrome.

The prevalence of the phenomenon in our country has been increasing in recent years, with more and more girls over 9 years old and more and more boys over 15 adopting behaviors that could, under certain circumstances, lead to the consolidation of eating disorders. Early recognition of these signs could lead to a more effective treatment of the phenomenon, as prevention is always a powerful means of preserving our health.

Some characteristic signs of anorexia nervosa, according to the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5, 2013), are the following:

• Intense fear of obesity and weight gain.
• Refusal to maintain appropriate body weight for age and height, especially during growth. Loss of up to 25% of it.
• Disturbance of the mental image of the body.
• Unjustified and excessive influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation or denial of the seriousness of the current body weight.
• Amenorrhea in women, absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles or loss of menstruation.

Clearly there is always the risk of misdiagnosis, something that has worsened with the dissemination of information.

Seeking help on social networks and not through the appropriate channel of the interdisciplinary team can lead those concerned to overestimate or underestimate situations. The multidisciplinary team (specialists, dieticians, psychologists, physical education teachers) could evaluate suspicious behaviors in scientifically documented ways and be able to develop a realistic action plan with clear goals, providing real solutions to those concerned.

Examples of therapeutic goals are the following:

• Achieving normal weight with normal distribution of fat and lean mass with a realistic and achievable methodology.
• Avoiding malnutrition (lack of electrolytes, dehydration)
• Avoiding medical complications (cardiac dysfunction, gastrointestinal dysfunction)
• Avoiding the adoption of extreme dietary patterns and especially nutrient exclusion diets, which are associated with worsening symptoms.

Awareness of the entire population is essential as these disorders irreparably affect the balance of the family in adolescence but are also an extremely negative prognostic factor for the health of adult patients.